Just a Dream
by LittlePidgey
Summary: Set after the events of the Four Swords manga, Link feels he needs to go back up to the Sky-Tall Tower to give Shadow Link a second chance. Link/Shadow Link
1. An Equal Decision

**Just a Dream**

**Fandom: **Legend of Zelda: Four Swords (manga)

**Characters/Pairings:** Link/Shadow Link

**Chapter 1: An Equal Decision**

**Rating:** U - suitable for all

**Warnings:** None

**A/N:** Set after the events of the Four Swords manga

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It was the usual morning; Link and his father were both competitive boys so their morning would usually turn into a race straight after breakfast from their house to the castle.

"Come on, Link! I'm going to beat you!" The General called, running out the door.

"I'm coming! Wait up!" Link replied, coming out second and closing the door.

Just after he turned round and ran a couple of paces, Link stopped as the whole atmosphere around him changed. The whole place began to turn as if he was witnessing a vision. He looked around, confused, until he noticed three boys that he knew stood a few feet infront of him.

Vio looked at him with a face of annoyance, "Why, Green?"

Blue looked at him with a sense of disgust on his face, "Why, Green?"

Red looked at him worryingly, "Why, Green?"

All he could do was stare at them, half in confusion and half in fear. Why were they here? Why were they just asking him 'why'? Why did Link feel guilt? That was when Shadow Link appeared infront of him, looking upset as he asked, "Why, Link?"

The sheer amount of pressure mounted on him caused the ground to crack and break open. Link fell into blackness not hearing his own scream but only them asking 'why'.

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The next thing he knew, Link had woken up from the dream. He was sitting on a stone bench in the castle, leaning on his father sat next to him, who was eating his lunch.

The General looked down to him, "Ah, you're awake. Are you OK, son?"

"Uh, yeah. I'm sorry..I dozed off.."

"Are you sure everything's alright? You've been spacing out a lot today."

Link stood up and forced a smile, "Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about me!" He focused, looking ahead of him, "Um, Dad. I need to do something." Link swallowed and then proceeded to run outside, "I'll be right back!"

The General watched his son go, not saying a word, but thinking to himself what was making him act not himself lately.

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Link panted as he finally made it to his destination. He bent down and leaned his hands on his knees to catch his breath. As he straightened back up he looked at it; the Four Sword which he had put back only a few days ago.

His unsureness was shown all over his face, but Link slowly reached his hand out to the handle, "I've got to do this!" He thought, "This had to be done!"

Link's fingers barely brushed the handle of the blade until he heard his father's voice, "Link!"

The General walked up to him as his son turned round to see him, "Dad!"

"Link, listen to me. I know something's been troubling you ever since that sword was put back. But what troubles me is that you worry about something and don't tell me about it. I'm your father, Link. You can tell me, I can understand. So, please don't make me scared for you again. OK?"

Link had listened to every word and he nodded, "You're right, Dad. I'll tell you what it is. It's not that I miss the others being here since they're inside of me. It's Shadow Link. He was a good guy but it feels like we just left him up there. I want to give him a second chance."

The General also listened, and then smiled, "Thankyou, son. You can go. I trust you."

Then Link smiled and nodded. As he turned round his face turned serious and he immediately pulled out the sword, splitting himself into four.

Red, Blue, and Vio hesitated their greetings as Green, which was his name for now, turned to them like a leader, "Guys, listen. We need to go up to the Sky-Tall Tower. I'll explain on the way."

On the command of those words of the destination, the power of the seven maidens caused a great light to shine down on them. As they rose up with eager faces ready for battle, Green looked down to his father.

"I'll be waiting for you, son."


	2. A Meeting of two Shadows

**Just a Dream**

**Fandom: **Legend of Zelda: Four Swords (manga)

**Characters/Pairings:** Link/Shadow Link, Vaati/Shadow Link

**Chapter 2: A Meeting of two Shadows**

**Rating:** U - suitable for all

**Warnings:** Slight shounen-ai reference

**A/N:** Set after the events of the Four Swords manga

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The four heroes were dashing up the flights of stairs of the Sky-Tall Tower. Green was leading them clearly being in a rush, while telling them why he brought them here, "He deserves another chance, I think. Shadow was good, he helped us. I believe he's one of us, and I still stand by that."

Even though they couldn't see his face, the others still felt how passionate Green was about this issue, "I remember." Vio said, "We were all at the top of the tower and the light there wiped him out. So we should go back there."

"I know." The leader replied, his determination still as strong.

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"I was created...I was made..out of the darkness from that hero. I'm just a shadow. I'm just his shadow. This...hurts."

Right at the top of that place, Shadow Link found himself lying there, quite near the edge. He found it difficult to open his eyes, not just from his weakness, but from how he was without shelter from the sun. Unfortunately, it was a clear day.

The fragments of the dark mirror were still there. Each shard began turning into dark smoke, and making its way over Shadow Link's body. Another body was being formed, leaning over him. It was a boy, about his age and size. Even though this boy's head was blocking the sun, Shadow Link could make out that he was wearing purple, with long hair and pale skin.

His face was smiling, with thin eyes, and his voice was like a comforting whisper, "That dastardly light...It hurts, right?"

Shadow Link was still a bit dazed, so his voice felt a bit weak, "Who are you?"

"I'm not an enemy. I want to help you, Shadow Link." The boy went on, "Listen, you want to live in this world, right? Then those heroes will need to be ridden of. Once they're dead, darkness can spread over, and you'll be able to look up to the sky without pain in your eyes. You'd like that wouldn't you?"

A smile then lit up his face a bit, and Shadow Link tried reaching his hand up to the boy he truly trusted, "Can I...know you're name?"

Right at that time, footsteps were heard. Those four heroes were getting closer. The boy's line of sight shifted to that sound, "They're coming. I'll make a new dark mirror. Please find it in this tower. Right now I'm just smoke from a shattered mirror."

Shadow Link's heart dropped a bit as he saw the boy was fading, "Wait!"

The boy looked back down at him, clutched onto his outreached hand, and brought his face closer to Shadow Link's, "Vaati. Please remember it."

At that he disappeared like a magic trick, as those four heroes had made it to the top.

"Shadow Link!" Green exclaimed as he and the others ran over to the lying boy. He knelt down, "Shadow, it's us! We-!"

He suddenly felt rejected as Shadow Link pulled his arm away that Green tried to rest his hand on. He rolled onto his side and faced away from them. Shadow Link didn't want to look at them since he feared that pain of death again, but he felt torn and confused if he could trust them as his friends.

"Shadow?"

"Don't try. You can't anyway." Shadow gripped onto the edge of that ledge, "You can't change me. I was born this way."

Green was persistent as he wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer, "But Shadow Link! Together we can..-"

Unfortunately, Shadow Link's mind was set, and he had promised a friend. It took a burst of his strength but he pulled himself towards and let himself fall over the ledge, and he disappeared through the clouds.

"Shadow Link!!" Green frantically reached for him and nearly fell over himself. Luckily Vio and Blue grabbed him and heaved him back up. Red stood there in a worried panic before he waddled to Green and hugged him, sobbing.

"Hey 'leader', don't act so foolish!" Vio scolded, "You're acting just like him." And he pointed to Blue.

"Oi!" His temper flared up.

Green then spoke up, still with only one thing on his mind, "He's just fallen to somewhere lower down in the tower. We need to go find him! Come on!"

And at that Green got up and headed for the stairs with the others following him. They went down the weaving stairways but soon got to a split path.

"What do we do now?" Red asked.

"We should split up." Vio suggested.

"Hang on! How do we decide who goes with who?" Blue asked, as he didn't really want to be paired with any of them.

"How about Rock, Paper, Scissors?" Green cheerfully suggested.

So after the chant of 'Rock, Paper, Scissors', two scissors and two papers appeared. The winners gloated a bit, especially as they were happy to be with each other, while the losers looked at their losing hands and then each other, thinking how they were going to hate each other's company.

Now the search for Shadow Link continued with Green and Red heading one way, and Blue and Vio heading the other way.


	3. Two Down, Two To Go

**Just a Dream**

**Fandom: **Legend of Zelda: Four Swords (manga)

**Characters/Pairings:** Link/Shadow Link, Vaati/Shadow Link

**Chapter 3: Two Down, Two To Go**

**Rating:** 12 – language used

**Warnings:** Slight shounen-ai reference, swearing

**A/N:** Set after the events of the Four Swords manga

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He was quite a few floors down the Sky-Tall Tower now, but now Shadow Link was in a lot more pain after falling all the way down. Although this kind of pain was much softer than if he was exposed to the sun.

After stumbling a couple of times from his weakness, Shadow Link managed to get up and walk into the room where the Dark Mirror was, lying face down on the floor. He heaved it up against the wall, and felt himself being revived as he touched the black glass.

Like he was appearing out of smoke, Vaati's figure became clear in the mirror, and he stepped out, now before Shadow Link in the flesh, "Thank you Shadow Link, I knew you could do it."

He looked back at the shadow he admired, while feeling his power coming back from the Dark Mirror as he leaned his back against it, "Vaati.."

"Listen Shadow Link. Those four troublesome heroes have split in two searching the tower for you. However this is a perfect opportunity for us to strike them down. Chances are two of them will find you here, so stay put and gather more energy. I'll get to the other half of the group and deal with them separately."

Vaati then gave him a glance and Shadow Link nodded back with a devious smile, "I understand." As he began to walk away Shadow Link stopped him, "Hey Vaati. Who are you a shadow of?"

"Believe it or not, I was a tiny minish. It didn't take long for me to get my freedom. All I had to do was step on the little bugs. I was lucky, however yours have multiplied and become bothersome. Let's deal with them quickly."

At that Vaati smiled at Shadow Link as his cape swallowed him and transported him to a different place.

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Maybe slightly higher up among the tower, Blue and Vio were making their way down the stairs that took forever. The awkward silence between them lingered on, until Blue broke it and complained, "Jeez, this is such a boring mission. And I get stuck with Vio too!"

He spoke with a dark tone, "Don't call me that. I hate that name! My name is Link, dammit! Vio is a damn girl's name for goodness sake!" His voice toned down slightly as he spoke to no-one in general, "Link is all our names. We're just his copies. We're not part of him at all, we're just extra pairs of hands. He never changed. 'Green' is still the same as he ever was. I hate him for pulling out that blasted sword again."

Blue understood, also being a copy, "Yeah. The truth is harsh."

Soon they got to a split road both leading to huge dark rooms, "Let's split up here." Vio said. "Fine, I'm off!" And Blue rushed forward on his way.

Vio walked forward a few steps the other way but was stopped as he felt another presence appear with him, with a voice coming from the other side of the room he was in, "It's such a shame I found you first. You have good fashion sense."

He drew out his sword and braced himself, "Who's there? Show yourself."

Then all he felt was the gust of someone coming at him and pain surging through him. The last thing Vio saw was that half-hidden face of Vaati's. He didn't scream or feel anything any longer. All he did was disappear as the Four Sword fell to the ground and turned to stone.

Vaati looked round and smirked at his accomplishment, "One down, three to go." And his cape swallowed him up again.

"Hey Vio! It's a dead end this way!" Blue had ran back and stopped where Vio once was. He quickly pieced together that Vio had been killed from the dead sword on the ground. Unsheathing his own out, he found a quarter of the blade now also stone, "Shit. We're losing power."

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Back down at the Dark Mirror's room, Shadow Link continued to rest against the glass, feeling much stronger, but also contemplating what his right path should be, or even if he had a path. Just as he was on that thought, the other half of the team had found him.

"Shadow!" Green felt uplifted as he ran over, "Shadow, we came here to help you! Please come with us!"

"Why should I?"

"Because...you're one of us."

Then Shadow Link batted Green's arms away and he hugged his knees to his chest on the floor, "No I'm not! You don't understand! I'm not a real being like you! I'm just a shadow!"

After just a short silence, Red walked round from behind Green and knelt in front of Shadow Link. Using both of his, Red held onto his hand and smiled, "But you're warm."

Shadow Link looked at him shortly before his eyes thinned and he formed his black Four Sword in his hand, "You're not." At that he swung his arm round and stabbed Red up against the wall.


	4. Light and Darkness

**Just a Dream**

**Fandom: **Legend of Zelda: Four Swords (manga)

**Characters/Pairings:** Link/Shadow Link

**Chapter 4: Light and Darkness**

**Rating:** PG – slight swearing used

**Warnings:** Light swearing, shounen-ai

**A/N:** Set after the events of the Four Swords manga

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Just like Vio, Red was also a copy of the main hero. He didn't scream or feel pain for more than half a second, but his face was frozen in death. Red simply just disappeared from their sight and his rock-hard sword fell to the ground.

Green couldn't believe what he just witnessed. Something inside him was emptying, "Shadow...Why?"

He looked back at him with a cold, dark face, "I suppose those others are like me. You can't be friends with them."

"Wh-what?!"

"They're just copies of you! Clones to help you do four tasks at once! That's all they are!"

Green rose to his feet, "No! You're wrong!"

Shadow Link stood up too, "Oh? Do you feel any different from before you pulled out that Four Sword?"

His face flinched, Green didn't want to admit 'no'.

"The truth is harsh, isn't it Link!?"

At that Shadow Link swung his sword round which Green barely missed. Refusing to fight back, he had to keep stepping back, as Shadow Link repeatedly swiped his sword to hit Green with. This backed him up to the stairs, leading to the top of the tower.

"Shadow! Please! I want to be your friend!"

He brought his sword back down to his side while forming dark power in the other hand, "You don't get it, do you? You fool!"

The dark energy was thrown at Green, who was forced to turn around and run away the rest of the way up. The dark power hit the ground and faded as Shadow Link slowly walked his way up the stairs after Green, still thinking on what his choice should be.

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Blue had been running so fast to find his remaining teammates that he fell down the stairs and onto his bum to the next room. He wasn't entirely pleased as he found Red's Four Sword now made of stone.

He gritted his teeth, "What the hell?! Link is losing for goodness sake!"

Blue then ran up the other set of stairs leading to the top so he would hopefully find his only companion left.

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Now he was cornered. Green had made it to the top of the tower where the whole sky was dark and cloudy. Shadow also made it to the top after him, his face still calm but still with an angry glare at Green. Now they were standing face-to-face just a few metres apart.

Despite being attacked at before, Green was still determined, "Shadow! I don't understand! Why can't I be your friend?"

"Because I am your shadow! That is the reason!"

Before he could reply. Blue had arrived and looked at Green with a serious face, "Shadow Link makes perfect sense Green. Just think about it!"

"Ah, so everyone left is gathered here." Vaati said as smoke rose from the ground and he stepped out from it, "Good work Shadow Link. We're just half-way there." And he opened his palm out at Blue's direction.

Blue didn't react at the threat at all, but just stood there ready to accept it, "Please, kill me now. I can't take this crappy clone life."

And straight away dark power was shot at him, going right through, tearing his body before it disappeared.

Something inside him emptied more as Link watched the stone sword fall to the ground, "No! Blue!" Then his attention was focused at Vaati as Link charged at him, "You!" Suddenly though his sprint was cut short as drawing his sword revealed it to be made completely of stone, and the weight caused Link to fall to the ground.

He lifted himself up with his arms and Link looked down at that stone sword, "The Four Sword...is gone."

Vaati spread a grin across his face, "Ha, now you're mine!" And he hurled more dark power at him.

Shadow Link watched in uncertainty, and Link braced himself until he heard his father's voice echo from below, "Link!!" He stood up and saw his father's sword had been thrown up, due to the shrine below now being broken, and Link caught it as he quickly moved the sword and deflected Vaati's attack with a flash of light.

The shadow of a minish was completely shocked, "Wha-what was that?!"

All of Link's fear was now gone as he ran his hand down the long blade, "My father is waiting for me down there. He's the strongest knight in all of Hyrule, and this is his greatest sword!"

Vaati's mind was now panicking, never having seen so much power before, so he diverted his attention, "Shadow Link! What are you doing?! Get him now!!"

He stuttered, "U-um, but.."

But it was too late for them to do anything as Link charged at Vaati and defeated him with one slice as light emitted the blade. The dead shadow changed into smoke which got obliterated by the light, so Vaati was no more.

Link felt confident now as he smiled and walked to Shadow Link, "He's gone now Shadow. You're free. You can come with me now, right?"

Shadow Link got frustrated, especially now he had lost a friend, "No! It wasn't him! It's you! Don't you remember?! I said it right at the beginning when I attacked that castle!" Then he quoted, "I am you!"

Link knew he was right. Link understood what he meant. But he refused to accept it. So then he marched towards Shadow Link, grabbed his shoulder and kissed him.

Their lips were locked for only a couple of second, but Shadow Link's expression didn't change. He stepped back a couple of paces and prepared a dark power attack, "You can't change the truth Link."

Straight away he threw his attack at Link who quickly counter attacked light back at him with the sword. The lightning-fast attacks made it a short and sweet duel with one clear winner.

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Link arrived back down on the ground where his father had been waiting. He dropped the sword and hugged the General tight as he looked down to his own shadow with tears in his eyes, "My shadow's right here."

"Light and darkness can't live together, can they?"

Link just shook his head as he cried some more and his father took them home.

**END**


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